Vino Italiano!

The initial concept consisted of expanding the clients existing first floor bar, wine, and cigar storage into a new one-of-a-kind room. The clients, deeply fond of their Italian heritage, wanted to bring an old-world feel into this project to be reminded of the unique character they experienced in Italian cellars. The existing exercise room in the basement was a perfect centralized location for this expansion and transformation due to its proximity to existing first floor bar, kitchen, and pantry, in addition to the fact that it was in an unused portion of the basement.

The dramatic tone of the space revolves around the signature piece of the project; the custom milled stone spiral stair that provides access from the first floor to the entry of the room. The client did not want a “traditional” staircase or entry into the space, but a truly unique experience every time they entered the room. This stair tower features stone walls, custom iron handrails and spindles, and dry-laid milled stone treads and riser blocks. After months of conceptualizing and sketching out how to make this a one-of-a-kind stair case, the designer arrived at the idea of having this element be fully self-supporting with no center pole or additional supports. To achieve this, milled stone treads and risers were CNC cut to specific dimensions and dry-laid onto one another, providing the strength needed to support the necessary weight. This stair tower also features stone walls to match the wine/cigar room, and custom iron handrails and spindles that were hand pounded on-site.

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The interior of the renovated room is clad with stone veneer on the walls and brick barrel vaults. The natural stone and brick color bring in the cellar feel the clients were looking for, while the rustic alder beams, flooring, and cabinetry help provide warmth. The entry door sequence is repeated along both walls in the room to provide rhythm in each ceiling barrel vault. These French doors also act as wine and cigar storage. The bottles are suspended out from the wall with metal brackets, allowing the bottles to be showcased with the doors closed. A light strip around the interior jamb of the doors highlights what is inside.

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To allow for ample cigar storage, a fully custom walk-in humidor was designed opposite the entry doors. This humidor is lined with cedar and features plenty of storage shelves and cabinetry. At the center of the room is a wet bar with liquor shelves, under cabinet refrigeration and an ice maker, as well as more wine bottle storage. The room is controlled by a fully concealed, state-of-the-art HVAC smoke eater system that allows for cigar enjoyment without any odor. The HVAC ducts (supply and returns) are concealed within the overhead beams and columns. The barrel of the ceiling helps divert smoke into the returns, allowing fresh air to come in from the columns below. The barrel of the ceiling helps divert smoke into the returns, allowing fresh air to come in from the columns below.